Sleep Supplements for Staying Asleep Through the Night: What Reddit Users Report
This ranking reflects what people who wake up during the night report in Reddit comments: 178 rated owner comments, ranked by a context rating that shrinks small samples toward the average. It is not a recommendation to try any of them. Sleep problems that last for months, or come with loud snoring, gasping or daytime sleepiness, need a doctor's assessment.
OTC sleep drugs such as diphenhydramine (1,451 comments) and doxylamine (517) come up often; we do not score or rank them. See why OTC sleep drugs are context only.
| # | Supplement | Context rating | Rated comments here | Positive | Negative | Overall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L-theanine | 3.7 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 3.8 |
| 2 | Magnesium glycinate | 3.5 | 49 | 36 | 11 | 4.0 |
| 3 | Magnesium (form not stated) | 3.5 | 25 | 20 | 5 | 4.2 |
| 4 | Magnesium taurate | 3.5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3.5 |
| 5 | Glycine | 3.4 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 3.9 |
| 6 | Melatonin | 3.4 | 58 | 36 | 13 | 3.7 |
Our sleep supplement shortlists group top-rated options by what people report. Forms differ; see magnesium glycinate vs threonate vs taurate. Still comparing? Browse every sleep supplement we track, sorted by Reddit owner score.
In their words
4/5 Deeper sleep“You're not gonna feel anything like L-theanine, glycinate is so subtle I forgot I took it until I realized I slept through the night without waking up at 3am.”
4/5 Deeper sleepFalling asleep faster“man that chart looks brutal, i had similar issue during my air force days and magnesium glycinate before bed helped me stay asleep longer instead of just falling asleep easier.”
4/5 Deeper sleep“magnesium helped a bit but adding glycine made me actually sleep through the whole night without that 3am wide awake moment”
4/5 Deeper sleep“However, magnesium taurate helps you stay asleep.”
Mixed and negative reports
2/5 Deeper sleepFalling asleep faster“And I take magnesium glycinate which doesn't help me fall asleep but it makes me stay asleep through the night.”
2/5 Falling asleep faster“This just seems to be a hustle with the magnesium.”
Before you try anything
- Start one supplement at a time so you can tell what made a difference.
- Check interactions with any medicine you take: safety and interactions guide.
- Background reading: Magnesium Forms for Sleep Compared.